San Marcos  Whether it’s because of tuition hikes, the scarcity of part-time jobs or shrinking financial support from parents, experts say more cash-strapped students are trying to make it through college without a traditional place to live.

Some crash on the couches of classmates, some live in their cars and others get more creative. One Cal State San Marcos student says he spent a month sleeping in the supply closet of a computer lab last year before being discovered by campus police.

Universities aren’t required to track homelessness, so the exact size of the problem is unknown. But more than 33,000 students nationwide declared themselves homeless on federal student aid applications last year, the first time the question was included.

Homeless advocates say the number is probably higher because students are reluctant to admit they have nowhere to live and because many don’t see bouncing from couch to couch as homeless. Others say self-reported information is inherently unreliable.

Even if it’s increasing, the number of homeless college students is still small enough to be inconspicuous, which probably explains why most schools have been slow to react with counseling and other help.

“Universities aren’t really jumping on board, which is unfortunate,” said Cyekeia Lee of the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. “It’s crucial to have a single point of contact for this kind of problem, especially in college, where students are much more on their own than high school.”

Lee said there are some rare exceptions, including UCLA. Since just after the economy crashed in 2008, the university has had an economic crisis team that helps homeless students and others experiencing financial problems.

When students identify themselves as homeless, a member of the crisis team immediately analyzes whether they’re eligible for more grants or loans.

In addition, they are given vouchers to eat in any student cafeteria, the option of a free two-week stay in a vacant campus dorm room, and access to a 90-day loan with zero interest.

“It’s not a permanent solution, but it can translate into a permanent solution,” said Maria Blandizzi, UCLA’s executive director of student affairs. “It’s important to have everything in one place, because we don’t want students bouncing from office to office.”

San Diego County’s three largest universities don’t have anything comparable to UCLA’s program.

UC San Diego’s financial aid division helps homeless students look for extra loans and grants, but that’s the extent of the assistance available, a university spokeswoman said.

“We’re not seeing homelessness as a significant trend, so there’s no program in place,” said the spokeswoman, Christine Clark.

San Diego State counselors occasionally have students identify themselves as homeless, said Sandy Jorgensen-Funk, the university’s director of counseling and psychological services.

She said the school directs homeless students to shelters and food banks, and recommends homeless students call a county-operated crisis line that’s available around the clock.

“Any resident can call that number and get information about all the resources available to them,” Jorgensen-Funk said.

Cal State San Marcos has more help available, including access to empty dorm rooms in some cases and a special team for students in crisis called Student Outreach and Referral.